As Isreal Joins US Hormuz coalition

Iran has warned that shipping might not be safe in the Strait of Hormuz oil waterway. In an address to senior Iranian Foreign Ministry officials, Iran’s President, Hassan Rouhani, said that peace with Iran is the “mother of all peace” and that war with Iran is the “mother of all war”.

He further noted that other countries cannot expect to enjoy security while they harm Iran’s security.

“Security for security. Strait for strait. It is inconceivable for the Strait of Hormuz to be free to you [the United Kingdom] while the Strait of Gibraltar is not free to us. This is inconceivable,” Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on state TV.

The development comes on the back of rising tensions between Iran and the UK.

In early July, Gibraltar authorities and British Royal Marines detained the Iranian tanker Grace 1 on suspicion it was carrying crude oil to Syria, reportedly breaching EU sanctions against Syria. Although Gibraltar claimed it was enforcing the existing sanctions, Iran described the seizure as unlawful as the country is not an EU member.

Just weeks later, Iranian authorities seized a British-flagged, Swedish-owned oil tanker Stena Impero, while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. The vessel was captured for “breaching international maritime law”, Tehran-based Press TV earlier reported.

Additionally, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) seized an Iraqi oil tanker in the Persian Gulf due to suspicions of fuel smuggling to “some Arab countries” on August 4. The tanker was reportedly carrying around 700,000 liters of fuel. Reports suggest that seven crew members were detained from the Iraqi ship.

Approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil traffic passes through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, Israel has joined the American military coalition for maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Israeli foreign minister Yisrael Katz.

“It is an Israeli interest to stop Iranian entrenchment in the region and strengthen relationship with Gulf countries,” said Katz, as reported by the paper Yedioth Ahronoth. “Israel is part of the US-led coalition to protect trade routes in the Persian Gulf.”

The assistance includes intelligence cooperation with the mission, according to Ynet, along with other unspecified contributions.

Israel joins the small but growing list of countries that have signed on for the U.S.-led mission. Formally, the coalition includes the UK and the U.S., and the government of South Korea is reportedly planning to send one destroyer to join in patrols. The governments of Australia and Japan are still considering requests from the U.S. to join. Germany and France have refused, citing the American strategy of “maximum pressure” on Iran and the possibility of escalation. The U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA) and reimposed strict sanctions on Iran last year, but the EU is still working to save the agreement.